The Type 96 and Type 97 were Japanese 150 mm caliber mortars used during the Second World War. The Type 96 designation was given to this mortar as it was accepted in the year 2596 of the Japanese calendar (1936).[1]
Japanese 90mm, 120mm, and 150mm mortars were labeled as "trench mortars" and were effectively controlled by Imperial Japanese Army artillery units instead of infantry units. Initially Japanese trench mortars where primarily developed as chemical-delivery weapons, but would mainly see service in conventional roles during the Greater East Asia War.
Design
The Imperial Japanese Army initially designed a 150mm trench mortar in the late 1920s which was accepted as the Type 90 150mm trench mortar. Production never commenced outside of two units in 1932. [2]
The Type 97 150mm mortar was essentially the Type 96 mortar but with the recoil mechanism eliminated. [3] Both models where produced side-by-side as the Type 97 mortar proved to be lighter but less stable than the slightly older Type 96 mortar. [4] A short barrel 150mm mortar, the Type 99 experimental short trench mortar was trialed, but range was considered to be unsatisfactory at 220 meters.
The Type 96 150mm mortar was never encountered by American or British troops, although it was used in China. The Type 97 150mm mortar was notably used in both Iwo Jima and China. Both types were produced from 1937 to late 1943, with records indicating a total of 201 units delivered to the Imperial Japanese Army. [5] . Both types were nominally replaced by the lighter and more portable Type 2 120mm trench mortar. [6]
| Designation | Type 96 | Type 97 |
|---|---|---|
| Number Built | 201 (mix of Type 96 and Type 97) | |
| Barrel length | 8.6 cal | 8.6 cal |
| Elevation | +45° to +80° | |
| Shell weight | Reported between NaNkg (-2,147,483,648lb) | |
| Muzzle velocity | 214m/s | |
| Weight | 722kg (1,592lb) | 342kg (754lb) |
| Range | 3.9km (02.4miles) | |